Chapter 44
1 He commanded the steward of his house , saying , " Fill the men’s sacks with food , as much as they can carry , and put each man ’s money in his sack’s mouth .
2 Put my cup , the silver cup , in the sack’s mouth of the youngest , with his grain money ." He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken .
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away , they and their donkeys .
4 When they had gone out of the city , and were not yet far off , Joseph said to his steward , " Up , follow after the men . When you overtake them , ask them , ‘ Why have you rewarded evil for good ?
5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks , and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing .’"
6 He overtook them , and he spoke these words to them .
7 They said to him , " Why does my lord speak such words as these ? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing !
8 Behold , the money , which we found in our sacks’ mouths , we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan . How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house ?
9 With whomever of your servants it is found , let him die , and we also will be my lord’s slaves ."
10 He said , " Now also let it be according to your words . He with whom it is found will be my slave ; and you will be blameless ."
11 Then they hurried , and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 He searched , beginning with the oldest , and ending at the youngest . The cup was found in Benjamin ’s sack.
13 Then they tore their clothes , and each man loaded his donkey , and returned to the city .
14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph ’s house , and he was still there . They fell on the ground before him .
15 Joseph said to them , " What deed is this that you have done ? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination ?"
16 Judah said , " What will we tell my lord? What will we speak ? How will we clear ourselves ? God has found out the iniquity of your servants . Behold , we are my lord’s slaves , both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found ."
17 He said, " Far be it from me that I should do so . The man in whose hand the cup is found , he will be my slave ; but as for you , go up in peace to your father."
18 Then Judah came near to him , and said , " Oh , my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant ; for you are even as Pharaoh .
19 My lord asked his servants , saying, ‘ Have you a father, or a brother?’
20 We said to my lord, ‘ We have a father, an old man , and a child of his old age , a little one ; and his brother is dead , and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him .’
21 You said to your servants , ‘ Bring him down to me , that I may set my eyes on him .’
22 We said to my lord, ‘ The boy can ’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die .’
23 You said to your servants , ‘ Unless your youngest brother comes down with you , you will see my face no more .’
24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 Our father said, ‘ Go again and buy us a little food.’
26 We said, ‘ We can ’t go down . If our youngest brother is with us , then we will go down : for we may not see the man ’s face , unless our youngest brother is with us .’
27 Your servant , my father , said to us , ‘ You know that my wife bore me two sons .
28 One went out from me , and I said , " Surely he is torn in pieces ;" and I haven’t seen him since .
29 If you take this one also from me , and harm happens to him , you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol .’
30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us ; since his life is bound up in the boy ’s life ;
31 it will happen , when he sees that the boy is no more , that he will die . Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant , our father, with sorrow to Sheol .
32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘ If I don’t bring him to you , then I will bear the blame to my father forever .’
33 Now therefore , please let your servant stay instead of the boy , my lord’s slave ; and let the boy go up with his brothers.
34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me ?— lest I see the evil that will come on my father."